FRIEND CCI (Fostering Resilience and Innovation in Europe through Networking Development of Cultural and Creative Industries) is a project funded by the European Union through the COSME programme and implemented by a consortium of five partners from Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Romania.

The project aims to contribute to:

  • Strengthening the resilience and innovation capacity of cultural and creative industries (CCI),
  • Supporting cross-sectoral and international collaboration,
  • Facilitating the green and digital transition of CCI businesses,
  • Creating and scaling innovative products and services through cascade funding and mentoring mechanisms.

Implementation period: September 2022 – August 2025

Total budget: 1.434.610,48 EUR

Partners: OpenHub Creative Cluster, Venetian Cluster, ITALCAM, France Clusters, IDiA

Since its launch, FRIEND CCI has made significant contributions to supporting CCI SMEs by facilitating partnerships, creating dedicated digital infrastructures, and providing funding opportunities for innovation and sustainability.

What we have achieved:

1. A collaborative space for CCIs

In May 2023, we launched the Creative and Cultural Industries Collaborative Platform (CCICP), a digital collaboration space that connects CCI actors across Europe, facilitates the exchange of resources and best practices, and provides access to a portfolio of service providers for internationalization, digitization, and professional training. Over 119 organisations and professionals are already active members of the platform.

Access to European funding for SMEs: By contributing to the development of the Cluster Submission Platform (CSP), FRIEND CCI has provided SMEs with a simplified method of applying for Eurocluster funding calls.

2. Calls for funding for SMEs

  • Call 1 – July-September 2023: 25 projects submitted, 10 projects selected, 27 SMEs funded from 8 countries, grant value €488,696.80
  • Call 2 – November 2023 – January 2024: 45 projects submitted, 12 projects selected, 33 SMEs funded from 13 countries, grant value €587,303.20

A total of 70 projects were submitted, involving 161 SMEs, of which 60 received non-reimbursable funding totaling €1,076,000. 25% of the funded SMEs come from European countries that are not represented in the project consortium—proof of the broad impact of FRIEND CCI.

3. Creating a network of service providers

In March 2023, a call for applications was launched for service providers in the field of internationalization, training, and green/digital transition. 94 organizations were validated, of which at least 22 were selected to deliver services to funded projects.

4. Network expansion and the future of the project

FRIEND CCI attracted over 30 clusters to the network and established new collaborations. In total, nearly 200 strategic partners became part of the FRIEND CCI ecosystem.

For continuity, the project merged with Creathriv-EU, forming CR.EU – the Meta-cluster for Cultural and Creative Industries, which brings together clusters from 10 European countries.

This structure will continue to support:

  • cross-sectoral cooperation,
  • joint European initiatives,
  • the internationalization of CCI SMEs.

Project Context

The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are one of the strategic pillars of European industry, contributing 3.95% of EU GDP. In the context of the major challenges posed by the pandemic, the sector urgently needs investment to recover and prevent future shocks. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the CCI sector in Europe, making up 99% of active businesses. They are inherently vulnerable and need reinforced support to strengthen their resilience and successfully navigate through current challenges, including in the context of


The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and the Executive Agency for SMEs (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the funding authority can be held responsible for them.